Gary Meers, Ed.D.

About me

I am an Education Advisor/Consultant for MaxKnowledge. I write courses that assist in the professional development of career college instructors. These courses range in content from the introductory level to advanced instructional development. I started my teaching career as an instructional technology teacher on the high school level, completed graduate school and then moved into higher education. I spent many years in the area of teacher training at the University of Nebraska. While at the University of Nebraska I stared working with career college instructors to improve their instructional delivery skills. As a result of these experiences I have been a consultant to career colleges throughout the United States and a number of foreign countries.

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Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Instruction Relevant

Hi Michael, Good way to connect the dots for your students. You are showing them that they bring to the class a lot of knowledge and experience already so you are going to help them build on that. This really helps to keep their motivation level high. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi Patti, Good variety of instructional deliveries. This is the type of teaching that keeps students engaged and focused because you are appealing to a wide variety of learning preferences so more students will be involved throughout the entire class session. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Marina, What do you do to help establish a positive and supportive learning environment for your students? Thanks in advance for your input on this. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi Scott, Good point about developing a comprehensive and informative syllabus. This is critical to starting a class off right as you know. If the students are knowledgeable about the policies, requirements and expectations of the course they can get settled into the course much easier. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Feeling Accepted Helps with Success

Hi Walter, You are right on with your comments about students feeling overwhelmed at times as they progress through their courses. It is at these time they need someone to show them support and give them encouragement. This human touches will help to keep them engaged and progressing in their studies. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Blog

Setting the Stage for Student Motivation

It has been said that no one can motivate you to do anything, you have to do it yourself. While this global statement is true in the broadest sense, an instructor can certainly create opportunities for students to motivate themselves as they move through their courses.

Humans need encouragement on a daily basis. We seek encouragement from a number of different sources (family, friends, peers, etc.). If we don’t get this encouragement we start to slow down in our progress towards whatever goal we are striving for. For example, think how many weight loss and exercise programs are out there… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Jessica, By working at it you will know their names within the two week period. This will help you earn their respect and create rapport with them, making the course go smoothly. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

Hi Raul, Knowing you are there to support them is important for students. This way when something comes up they know they can approach you and you will help them work out a solution to the problem if it is within your ability to do so. If you can't you can always refer them to the appropriate source. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi Candace, It is so important to establish the ground rules for conduct and then enforce them. If an instructor does not enforce the rules then the rules are pointless and the students will "own" the course which leads to disaster. You make a good point about using the syllabus as a tool to let the students know what the expectations are. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivation Through Relevancy and Application

Hi Debra, Right you are. We need to show relevancy and application to our students if they are going to appreciate the content we are sharing with them. Gary

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